Along with malachite, Lapis Lazuli is one of the first treasured stones of human kind, and has been mined for over 7,000 years. Its name stems from the Latin word "lapis" meaning stone and from the Arabic word "azula" meaning blue. This treasured blue stone can be found throughout many ancient civilizations. Before a synthetic substitute was created, it was often ground and used as a pigment, making blue paint, "Ultramarine" the most expensive and valuable paint available. For this reason, blue paint was most often reserved for royalty and holy figures such as the Madonna. Much of the worlds Lapis Lazuli is mined from mountains in northern Afghanistan.

These dazzlingly sparkly Preciosa Rhinestone rondelles are crafted with premium Czech machine cut crystal, and add a fiery shimmer to any jewelry design. These rhinestone rondelles make fantastically sparkly spacers, earring components, and look especially radiant with pearls! Preciosa is a World leader in the manufacture of crystal chatons, beads and jewelry components boasting a broad variety of shapes, sizes, colors and coatings. Due to the high lead content of the crystal, Preciosa rhinestones are more durable and each precision cut facet emanates an irresistibly brilliant sparkle unparalleled by lower quality imitators.